Vehicle racks for carrying cargo on the exterior of a vehicle take various forms and are widely known. Examples of such racks may include luggage racks, recreational equipment racks (e.g., bike racks, ski racks, etc.), tools racks, etc. Generally, the racks are secured to the vehicle via, for example, a hitch receiver provided at the rear of the vehicle or directly mounted to the roof, rear gate, doors, and/or other panels of the vehicle.
However, current vehicle racks have disadvantages. For example, if a vehicle rack is specifically designed to carry bicycles, these racks are commonly not adaptable for other loads. Therefore, a completely different vehicle rack would be required for each type of loads. Another drawback of current vehicle racks is the damages caused when the racks strike an obstacle (e.g., tree, brush, road signs, etc.). The rigid design of current vehicle racks causes parts of the racks to deform and/or break, leaving the rack unusable and/or the cargo unsecured during transport.